--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/03/31 20:53:39	1.358
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2003/04/03 22:17:09	1.359
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.358 2003/03/31 20:53:39 www Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.359 2003/04/03 22:17:09 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -3094,8 +3094,10 @@ sub EXT {
     unless ($varname) { return ''; }
     #get real user name/domain, courseid and symb
     my $courseid;
+    my $publicuser;
     if (!($uname && $udom)) {
       (my $cursymb,$courseid,$udom,$uname)=&Apache::lonxml::whichuser();
+      if ($udom eq 'public' and $uname =~ /^public/) { $publicuser='1'; }
       if (!$symbparm) {	$symbparm=$cursymb; }
     } else {
 	$courseid=$ENV{'request.course.id'};
@@ -3118,7 +3120,12 @@ sub EXT {
 	    if (defined($Apache::lonhomework::parsing_a_problem)) {
 		return $Apache::lonhomework::history{$qualifierrest};
 	    } else {
-		my %restored=&restore($symbparm,$courseid,$udom,$uname);
+		my %restored;
+		if ($publicuser || $ENV{'request.state'} eq 'construct') {
+		    %restored=&tmprestore($symbparm,$courseid,$udom,$uname);
+		} else {
+		    %restored=&restore($symbparm,$courseid,$udom,$uname);
+		}
 		return $restored{$qualifierrest};
 	    }
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------- user.access
@@ -3131,7 +3138,11 @@ sub EXT {
 		($udom eq $ENV{'user.domain'})) {
 		return $ENV{join('.',('environment',$qualifierrest))};
 	    } else {
-		my %returnhash=&userenvironment($udom,$uname,$qualifierrest);
+		my %returnhash;
+		if (!$publicuser) {
+		    %returnhash=&userenvironment($udom,$uname,
+						 $qualifierrest);
+		}
 		return $returnhash{$qualifierrest};
 	    }
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------- user.course
@@ -3155,8 +3166,11 @@ sub EXT {
             return $uname;
 # ---------------------------------------------------- Any other user namespace
         } else {
-            my %reply=&get($space,[$qualifierrest],$udom,$uname);
-            return $reply{$qualifierrest};
+	    my %reply;
+	    if (!$publicuser) {
+		%reply=&get($space,[$qualifierrest],$udom,$uname);
+	    }
+	    return $reply{$qualifierrest};
         }
     } elsif ($realm eq 'query') {
 # ---------------------------------------------- pull stuff out of query string
@@ -3175,7 +3189,7 @@ sub EXT {
         return $ENV{'course.'.$courseid.'.'.$spacequalifierrest};
     } elsif ($realm eq 'resource') {
 
-	if ($courseid eq $ENV{'request.course.id'}) {
+	if (defined($courseid) && $courseid eq $ENV{'request.course.id'}) {
 
 	    #print '<br>'.$space.' - '.$qualifier.' - '.$spacequalifierrest;